Vehicle door construction



' Aug. 1, 1933. e. TRAUTVETTER VEHICLE DOOR- CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 16,1932 INVENTOR. GEORGE TRAUTVETTER A TTORNE Y.

UNITED] T S "l and durabilityfand a neater and more finished windowopening at 17 to, provide moulding and at sides and top this inturnedportion 17 is'extended-by a flange 18 ofdouble angle forminmyinvention;

, Patented Aug. 1, 1933 BATENT F C VEHICLE DOOR CONSTRUCTION GeorgeTrautvetter, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Edward G. Budd ManufacturingCompany, Philadelphia, Pa., a Corporation of Pennsyl Vania ApplicationJanuary 16,1932. Serial No. 586,998

3 Claims. (01. 296-44) The invention relates to vehiole'body doors andmore particularly to such doors built up out of sheet metal.

- It is an object-of the present invention to -5 simplify theconstruction of such doors parappearance than has heretofore beenattained;

These objects I have in a large degree .attained by the constructionshownin the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment ofIn the drawing, v Fig. l is an inside perspective of an outer panelstamping according'to the invention.

Fig.2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective 23520 view, parts beingshown in section, showing the construction of aivertical door rail atthe side of the window opening.

Fig. 3 is asimilar view at an upper corner of the door showing the toprail in section.

In the drawing the invention has been shown applied to a door built upprincipally of outer and inner panel stampings, such as is shown, forexample, in my prior application Serial No. 421,374, filed January 1'7,1930 for pressed metal doors, but it will be understood that certainfeatures thereof are applicable whether the door involves the use ofacne piece inner panel extending entirely around the window opening ornot.

According to my invention the outer panel 10 is formed as a one piecestamping having edge flanges 11 adapted in the final assembly to becrimped around the edge flanges 12 of the inner 4D framepanel 13 andspott welded thereto. The side and top rails of the door are shown asforming portions of an inner panel stamping Y 14 also extending entirelyaround the window opening.

The side and top rails surrounding the window openings are shown ascomprising generally transversely extending portions 15 forming the doorjamb, and outer laterally extending edge flanges 12, about which theouter panel edges are crimped as already described. In the presentinstance this transverse jamb portion is shown provided with an offset,to fit against a corresponding offset in the door frame, but it will beunderstood that this invention is equally applicable to door jambs notprovided with such an offset.

vwidth of the jamb'face portion 15 spaced from portion 15. a

The inner panel in the sides and top of the window-opening has this jambportion 15 reversely. bent to provide moulding around the windowopening, and providing a transversely extending portion 16 of less widththanwthe 0 the latter and providing a seat against which may be secured"a removable moulding, not shown, for retaining and guiding the window.

The outer panel lo-is turned in around the 5 eluding a portion 19extending toward the .jamb and forming the outer wall of the glassrun,'*a portion 20 extending transversely inwardly and forming thebottom of the glass run,,'a portion 21 extending to the jamb portion 15of the inner panel, and a portion 22 overlapping the jamb v V ,75 Theedge of the inner panel portion 16 is in substantially the plane of theportion 21 of the outer panel and its edge overlaps the inner edge ofthe portion 20 and is secured thereto by spot welding. Preferably inorder to localize the 89 heat and facilitate the weld the outer panelportion is formed in the overlap with spuds 22 which are melted down bythe heat of the weld, leaving the parts seated flush in engagement witheach other as shown. The portion 20 may also be provided with a shallowoffset 23 of the thickness of the inner panel to receive the edge of theinner panel, thus leaving a smooth flat transverse surface from theinside of the opening to the outer side wall 19 of the glass run.

The portion 21. forms a rigid brace between the portion 16 and the jambportion 165, permitting the welds to be made by having the electrodesengage, respectively, the outside of the jamb portion 15 and theinside'of the portion 16 without danger of collapse of the parts towardeach other under the pressure exerted by i the electrodes, and alsofurnishing additional strength to the rail in the final assembly.

The overlapping edge flange 22 of the outer 9 panel is preferably spotwelded to the jamb portion 15 of the inner panel to further stiifen andbrace the structure and prevent squeaks due to relative movement ofengaging metal parts, and this spot welding is preferably carried outprior to the attachment of the edge of the inner panel portion 16 to theportion 20 of the outer panel .to insure greater rigidity during thewelding of these parts. Access is provided for directly spot welding theflange 22 1;

to the jamb portion 15 through spaced openings, as 24, provided atsuitable distances in the transverse portion 16 of the inner panel.Spuds are provided on part 16 to facilitate the weld and to minimizeweld marks.

From the. foregoing description of the construction and methodofassembly of the improveddoor it will be seen that I have provided a verystrong rigid and durable construction of door rail, and a constructionin which the parts are well adapted for ready assembly by spot weldingand also one in which "a neat and'fi'n-' ished appearance is preservedin a very high degree. Y

Thefeatures by which these advantages are attained may be modifiedwithin the skill of one skilled in the art, without departing from thespirit. and scope of the invention as expressed in the claims appendedhereto,

What I claim is: 1. A metal widow rail construction built up of innerandouter stampings, the inner stamp ing having a transverse web portionforming the jamb portion of a door and its inner edge reversely* bent,the reversely bent portion being 2. A metal window rail constructioncomprising an inner panel having a transversely extending. web portionforming the jamb portion of a door and having its inner edge reverselybent, the reversely bent portion being spaced from saidjamb; portion-anda stepped glass run; channel member comprising a portion of doubleangular form, the one angle forming the outer side and bottom of theglass run, the portion forming the bottom of the glass run being offsetalong its inner margin to approximately the thickness of the metal ofthe inner panel the: reverselyv bent portion of the inner paneloverlapping and secured to the offset portion of said memberforming thebottom of the glass run, andsupported in spaced relation from thejamb'face portion by the other angle of said double angular member.

-3. A metal window rail construction compris- 1 ing'a reversely bentinner panel providing spaced transversely extending portions, one ofgreater width forming the jamb face'of the door and the other of, lesserwidth forming a seat for removable window moulding, and an outerpanelhaving its inner margin formed of double angulari form providingv astepped formation, one step forming the bottom of a glass run, themargin of saidlesser width portion of the inner panel being spot weldedto said step, and the bottom ofthe other step being spot welded to thejamb face-portion of said inner panel, openings being provided in thelesser width portion to permit access oi the welding. electrode.

' GEORGE TRAUTVETPER.

